


Âme Sœur

by cellwright



Series: Pegoryu Week 2020 [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Pegoryu Week 2020, Soulmates, whatever you write on your skin shows up on your soulmates skin and vice versa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:48:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25769950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cellwright/pseuds/cellwright
Summary: Akira wasn’t too worried about meeting his soulmate, most people didn’t even bother to try— Until a hastily written reminder for a meeting he’s going to appears on his arm, and suddenly he was a little more interested.Or... Ryuji’s really forgetfulDay 1 of Pegoryu Week 2020: Soulmates
Relationships: Kurusu Akira/Sakamoto Ryuji, Persona 5 Protagonist/Sakamoto Ryuji
Series: Pegoryu Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1869463
Comments: 3
Kudos: 98





	Âme Sœur

**Author's Note:**

> they're soulmates your honor

Akira was used to the little doodles and reminders his soulmate adorned his wrists with. He enjoyed waking up to badly drawn pictures of (what looked to be) sneakers and devil faces, though he wondered if his soulmate was in another time zone or just stayed up late, because he’d go to sleep with clean skin and wake up with his arms blanketed in doodles and squiggles.

Akira assumed no one would normally draw on their skin that often, so it was a little comforting to think that his soulmate drew just for him. 

After his parents had sat down and told him what a soulmate was, that whatever he drew on his skin would show on their skin and vice versa, he lay in bed the same night and decided he didn’t care if his soulmate was a girl or a boy. Some people did, he learned later, but Akira didn’t. 

He often wondered who they were, what they could have been like. When he was in primary school, he would fantasize about what type of games they liked to play. When he was sitting in a holding cell after being falsely accused of assault, he watched rough black lines sprout from his wrist to form a little tree. At least, that’s what he thought it was. Nevertheless, he wondered and wondered and thumbed the little drawing whenever he was brought into another room to be questioned. He rubbed circles around it until the ink was long gone, as he did with most of the doodles. 

Akira used to leave a few on his forearms. His skill in art was pitiful at best, but he hoped the wonky looking cats and random eyes translated well enough. They must have, because he’d find an equally as janky dog next to his cats in the morning. 

And then he moved to Shibuya for his probation, unleashed his persona, became Joker, and it was easy for his soulmate to leave his mind when he was fighting for his life against monsters in an alternate universe. There were multitudes more to it, but it was enough to tire Akira out. 

His soulmate must have been busy with their own life as well. The doodles became few and far between, the most Akira ever got being a hastily written reminder on his palm about a test, it seemed. 

It left Akira’s mind after a while. He was so used to the premise, constantly wearing long sleeves under his clothes to keep his arms covered. It was inappropriate not to in the east. 

Besides, not everyone was on the hunt for their soulmate. A large number of people didn’t even end up with theirs, nor did they even try to communicate with their soulmates. It varied from person to person, but some people’s soulmates were platonic, it seemed. 

And to some, their soulmate just happened to be someone they shared an arbitrary connection with. 

Akira wasn’t too sure how he felt about it the older he got. Being a high schooler in the city, getting introduced to new people. Being a Phantom Thief. 

Falling in love with his best friend. 

Well, maybe he was too young to know if he was in love, but he figured going through hell and back warranted a little blurring of the lines on his part. That’s what he thought, at least. He could have known he was in love from the second Ryuji told Akira to run and leave him behind when they first discovered Kamoshida’s Palace, the Metaverse. Though, Akira had a feeling he had an entire lifetime to get to know Ryuji. 

There was a pull to Ryuji, an electric current that zapped up Akira’s arm every time they touched, (though he had to question whether or not it was because of Ryuji’s persona). But… no, even before Ryuji unleashed his persona, there was… something. _Something_ there. Something that kept Akira there, craving more. 

It was a wonder how Ryuji didn’t have people flocking to him constantly. His energy was magnetic, _inviting,_ Akira couldn’t detach himself from Ryuji’s side. Even after Kamoshida’s arrest, when the truth about the track team was exposed, the student body’s indifference towards Ryuji persisted and Akira found it baffling. He was expecting people to apologize to Ryuji for the misconceptions they made, to grovel for forgiveness, and Ryuji would be surrounded by new friends and interesting people and Ryuji would eventually ditch Akira. 

It never happened though, and he was content with being at Ryuji’s side forever. 

Except, Ryuji would _not_ shut up about his soulmate. Any time a mention of romance weaseled itself into a conversation, Ryuji would lean back and sigh that he’s waiting for to find his soulmate so he could sweep them off their feet. 

Akira lay… dormant with his thoughts about his crush. He figured he’d get over it. Meet someone else. Maybe meet _his_ soulmate. It wasn’t like Ryuji would consider giving up on his soulmate for Akira anyways. 

So, Akira forgot about his soulmate, and did his damndest to mentally distance himself away from these feelings for Ryuji. 

Until October twenty first. Akira was at the bathhouse near LeBlanc, more concerned with finishing his business and getting back to the cafe as quickly as possible. Morgana was hiding himself in Akira bag near the edge of the bath, yowling in his ear about getting enough sleep for the night when Akira noticed… 

**_council rm aftr school_ **

Council room. After school. Written hastily on his forearm, already fading a little. 

Akira had to go to the student council room after school the next day. He, Ryuji, Makoto, Haru, and Ann had to go to the student council room after school the next day. 

Maybe he _was_ a little interested in finding out who his soulmate was. 

If it wasn’t a coincidence. A sick, sick coincidence, but Akira had… a feeling. A good one. It crashed around his ribs and sent his heart in a frenzy but there was a lick of hope burning in his gut he couldn’t put it out- _Wouldn’t_ put it out. 

\-----

Akira kept on looking around at them while they counted the ballots for who would be Shujin’s special guest at the upcoming school festival. Their counting was useless, as the entire student body only wanted to see Goro Akechi make an appearance, so Akira wasn’t too worried about focusing on the task. 

It was unlike Ann, Haru, or Makoto to write reminders on their arms. Well, maybe Ann would, but her memory didn’t exactly warrant jotting it down when she kept her planner on her phone. Though, any of them could have done it in haste, after they got home and could ditch their long sleeves. 

It didn’t make too much sense to Akira, but neither did the entire concept of soulmates, so. 

Ryuji groaned for what was the upteenth time, the most tired out of all of them to be doing any counting. Akira glanced over at him, at the long sleeved workout shirt Ryuji always wore under his shirts. Everyone did, but Akira liked how it looked on Ryuji the best. All skin tight, shiny black nylon. 

Of course, Akira’s soulmate didn’t _have_ to be a girl. He knew that early on but… No. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, not when Ryuji never made any indication of ever having Akira’s doodles on his arms when he'd talk about his soulmate.

Logically, it could have been anyone in there. _Realistically_ , it could have been any of the girls. He got on with all of them well, enough to say they had a natural bond. People who met their soulmates always described it like puzzle pieces falling into place, like they’ve known each other forever. 

Akira would say that’s how it felt with Ryuji. 

But… that was too convenient. Not when Ryuji obviously didn’t feel the same. 

If he did, he didn’t show it. 

They finally finished tallying, with Akechi’s name far outweighing anyone else and everyone was left exasperated. Makoto and Haru bid their goodbyes together, saying something about fulfilling some third year business (?) together, and Ann left soon thereafter to catch her train. 

Leaving Ryuji, and a fidgeting Akira, alone in the student council room. 

Ryuji was Akira’s best friend. It was them against the world, and Akira could always confide in him…

“Hey, ‘Yuji,” Akira muttered, gaining Ryuji’s attention from where it previously was on his phone. 

“Yeah?”

Akira began to roll his sleeves up, and Ryuji sputtered, “Woah, dude, you— you sure you should be doin’ that here?” 

Akira stopped at the hem of the sleeve on _the_ arm and quirked an eyebrow at Ryuji. “We’re literally _always_ breaking the law and _this_ is where you draw the line?” 

“I— I mean… yeah, you’re right,” Ryuji said, grew a little pink. 

“Okay, well— I got this mark yesterday, and it could be a coincidence but…” he turned his arm to the side and towards Ryuji so he could see the words, “Y’think it could be any of the girls?” 

Akira expected Ryuji to offer him his iconic sly grin, to get excited about finally wanting to talk about his soulmate. 

Except… Ryuji paled. Glanced at his own arm, maybe, it was so quick Akira could have imagined it. Flew out of his seat, almost knocked his chair over with how fast it scraped the floor behind him. 

“‘Yuji?” Akira asked, hastily pulling his sleeves down. “What—“

“I, uh— I gotta go! Mom, Mom texted me, said she wanted me home right away so— yeah! I’ll, uh— see ya later! I’ll-- uh... gonna be late for the train!” 

And with that, Ryuji was… gone. 

What… just happened? 

\-----

Akira texted Ryuji. A few times. Each with no response. 

Fine, it was _fine._ Ryuji was probably… startled? But by what could he _possibly—_? No, Akira sighed to himself. If he swelled on it for any longer, he’d run himself in circles. 

There was a lightning bolt drawn on his wrist when he got back to LeBlanc. Small, a little shaky and some of the lines overlapped, but it was there. 

Awfully… convenient, Akira thought. 

And then Ryuji texted him, asking if he could stop by LeBlanc so they could talk. 

…What was there even to talk about? 

Akira shifted in the booth of LeBlanc he occupied. Sojiro was long gone, left hours ago with a mutter to close up and that he’d see Akira in the morning. It meant that Akira didn’t have any distraction to his rampant, anxious thoughts-- Morgana had left on Sojiro’s trail to stay with Futaba for the night. The rain battering on the door only picked up since he left, forming a background buzz that droned on. 

It was really pouring, Akira could hear the rain pounding on the pavement from inside. He wondered where Ryuji could have possibly been with the weather and--

The door slammed open, and in came a cursing, breathless, _soaked_ Ryuji. 

Akira was out of the booth in half a second, running over to Ryuji to help him out of his wet jacket, but Ryuji stopped him with a hand to the chest. He was red, though it was difficult to gauge out how much of it was really from the rain. Otherwise… 

“Show me your wrist,” Ryuji demanded, though the command faltered with how out of breath he was. His fringe was plastered onto his forehead, entire face damp and glistening in the soft orange light of LeBlanc after hours. 

“What?”

Ryuji did it for him, grabbing Akira’s wrist and pulling up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal the lightning bolt from earlier. A little smudged at the edges, but still present. 

“Ryuji, what--” Akira tried again, but Ryuji’s expression stopped him. Eyes blown wide, lips parted open in a sigh of… something-- confirmation, maybe. 

Ryuji dropped his wrist and pulled his own sleeve up to… a lightning bolt. The same one on Akira’s wrist. That meant...

Ryuji's eyes were as wide as saucers. His eyes locked onto Akira's, and Akira couldn't possibly gauge out what Ryuji's expression was. It was a mix of a thousand things that _held_ him there, that sent electricity racing down his spine. They could have stood there forever, barely any space between them, pupils blown wide and realization hitting them like a ton of bricks. Ryuji broke the spell with a glance at Akira's lips. 

Akira didn’t know who leaned in first, though it could have been more accurately described as falling into each other. Really, his mind completely whited out at the realization, but Ryuji’s lips were crashing on his before he could process any of it and it was _warm._ It was the puzzle piece Akira always heard it to be, slotting together easily even if there were _definitely_ a little too much teeth in there, but Akira’s hands moved to tangle themselves in Ryuji’s hair and Ryuji’s hands were on his shoulder and-- 

“Oh,” Akira murmured when they pulled apart. He could barely recall how it _felt_ , but his lips buzzed and he was just… _oh._

“I said I’d sweep my soulmate off their feet, didn’t I?” 

“Yeah. Yeah, you did.” 

**Author's Note:**

> im not the proudest of this one but i wrote it quickly, i promise the next prompts for the week will be loads better haha
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/kriswritesthing)!


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